[cdrw]

Yep - the general strategy for conducting war against the US is to do it through proxy groups. Our enemies have discovered that our legal and cultural frameworks for defending against aggression are state-on-state oriented and that our hands our significantly tied against these transnational proxies.

Iraq is the latest glaring example. The lesson learned by the terrorists and their sponsors is that the US can't do jack until AFTER an attack has occurred. Sure Dubya went on the offensive but half the country now wants him hung as a war criminal and our enemies can see that just as plain as day.

The Islamic groups funded by or at least supported by the Saudi's such as CAIR are working the plan from the inside. They push our own principles as justification for never taking preemptive action against anyone. Meanwhile bin Laden and his pals are working furiously on the means to deal a fatal blow with a single hit (their aspirations to nuke or bio attack several US cities simultaneously).

What I find most scary is that the jihadists could succeed. They are not idiots - they are rather perceptive and they have identified a real weakness in western culture / law.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Good point.

Paul Berman-despite his somewhat flawed conclusions-is acutely aware of the Islamist's insidiously appealing ideology.

I don't know if you've read "Terror & Liberalism," but it's a frightening window into the soul of our enemies.